31 December 2016

So, Trent Reznor kept good on his promise to release new Nine Inch
Nails material in 2016! It is always an event when these guys release
something, but when I found out it was an EP, it took me a little by surprise.
Mainly because NIN have only ever released two other EPs, the perfect 'Broken' and its fantastic remix sister, 'Fixed'. Both of those releases
were back in the days before 'The
Downward Spiral', before 'The
Fragile' and so on and so forth. The main thing about those EPs is
that they were feral, I mean they were downright angry with the world and
everything in it; Trent Reznor is now a different man; business man, Oscar
winner, Apple employee, he is now the man on the inside, he is not the maverick
on the raggedy edges that wanted to make noisy Depeche Mode/Ministry
music. So, whilst I am happy to be reviewing this, I am also approaching
it carefully as the times (as well as myself) have changed and will this Nine
Inch Nails release speak to me in the same way that those earlier (and to be
honest, some of their recent) music did in the past?

01 - Branches/Bones

It starts with a low fuzz, machine noises and that haunting voices; it sounds
as if it is aiming for the angst of former years and the chorus has that loud
apathetic noise that you associate with Nine Inch Nails; but it also feels like
a cross between 'Getting Smaller'
from 'With Teeth' mixed with 'Mr Self-Destruct' from 'The Downward Spiral'. It is over
very quickly as well, as it starts to hit is groove it ends with little to no
finale; a quick introduction, but lacking fire.

02 - Dear World

A pulsing, electronic beat drives this song forward, it swirls around you as
the listener and loops from ear to ear. However, it plods when it should
seduce, it distracts when it should enthral; it bores when it should entertain
and that is a sad state of affairs on any release, let alone one by Trent
Reznor.

03 - She's Gone Away

Featuring vocals from Mairqueen Maandig, the wife of Mr Reznor and vocalist of
How to Destroy Angels, this song is slow and moody once more. However,
this one has a little bit more to it; but only a little bit to it. The
verses sound as if there is still energy left in the tank, like there is some
spark that will ignite and take over the song. But the chorus sections
are lifeless, even when the sirens vocals are unleashed and it makes for
another plodding listen on this EP.

04 - The Idea of You

With drumming from everyone's favourite drummer for hire, Mr. David Eric Grohl,
'The Idea of You' actually sounds
like it is actually going to give something other than tribute to the
past. The chorus sections sound manic, the verses are full of sinister
whispering, the riff gives you a kick in the head and whilst it is once again reminiscent
of previous endeavours (this time 'Wish'
from the 'Broken' EP), it does at
least pass on a little bit of energy and final gives the EP something a little
interesting.

05 - Burning Bright (Field on Fire)

Ending the album is the song 'Burning
Bright (Field on Fire)' which features another guest, this time it is
Jane's Addiction & ex- Red Hot Chili Pepper guitar player, Dave
Navarro. Although you would be struggling to hear it under the dark
production that has been added to the music here. It feels like they were
aiming for a wall of noise and it ends up a little 'St. Anger' for my money here, a bit like people are trying very
hard to regain their youth a little and trying to make what would be a good NIN
song, instead of trying to make a natural feeling song. It has some good
moments in it too, I am not going to deny that, but once again it does not feel
natural to these ears and it loses appeal for that alone.

When all is said and done, this is not the best work from Nine Inch Nails; it is
an EP that does not move the world, it is very faithful to the past and it does
not contain the spark of excitement for me. I spent more time being
reminded of previous songs that I hunted them out, whilst not being held in
rapture by the best percentage of this release. It is not an awful EP, it
is still Nine Inch Nails and the music quality is as good as ever; it is just
that I have heard this from them before with more passion, innovation and fire
in the belly. I think they could not have picked a better title for the
EP to be honest.

27 December 2016

The
way we review album series is sometimes back to front, considering the last two
in this series of Led Zeppelin reviews are 5th & 6th studio albums to be
release by the rock colossus that is the mighty LZ. When this album was
first recorded for their newly formed Swan Song record label, the original
eight tracks recorded were longer than the length that a standard album could
hold in 1975. Therefore, they decided to add on some unreleased tracks
from 'Led Zeppelin III', 'Led Zeppelin IV' & 'Houses of
the Holy' (including the unused title track from 'Houses....'). The
recording session was also delayed a bit as bass player John Paul Jones
temporarily left the band (only to come back), also the length of the album and
the way that the band recorded added to the time it took for the album to be
released. However, according to singer Robert Plant & guitarist Jimmy
Page, 'Physical Graffiti' represents the band at the height of the creative and
expressive powers. It has been held as one of their best album, so how
have the last forty plus years been to this album since it was released?

01
- Custard Pie

Full
of double-entendres and more blues references than your local blues bar, 'Custard
Pie' opens the album in the only way a Led Zeppelin album could be opened;
full of energy, sexual imagery and a blues riff that lays the foundation for
other songs to come on the album, it is sometimes overlooked for other songs on
the album. This might be rightly so, due to those other songs being
monumentally huge, but it is still a good opening for this album.

02
- The Rover

'The Rover' was originally recorded during the
'Houses of the Holy' sessions, but you would be pushed to guess that to be
honest. It is a song about the nomadic lifestyle of the band and how they
are never settled in one place, it was not a song that the band seemed to
perform in its entirety. I always liked this song, it was not the most
obvious song from the album, but it spoke to me in ways that other LZ songs
could not. The riff at the beginning just keeps on giving and it is a
song which should be given more praise.

03
- In My Time of Dying

A
traditional song which has song writing credits for all four of the members of
Led Zeppelin (as well as Blind Willie Johnson), despite being a traditional
gospel that had already been recorded by other artist, namely 'Jesus Make Up
My Dying Bed' by the aforementioned Blind Willie Johnson, Bob Dylan’s 'In
My Time of Dyin'', and John Sebastian’s 'Well, Well, Well'. It
is also the longest studio song by LZ, coming in at eleven minutes and six
seconds in length. It has been crafted into a blues sermon, it is a
captivating number and your attention does not wonder as the solos, slide
guitar, hard drumming, walling and pounding bass take over the world. It
is a beautiful version of this blues standard, it is easy to be lost in that
riff and to find yourself tapping along to it for hours after it has finished.

04
- Houses of the Holy

The
original title track for 'Houses of the Holy', it was removed as it did
not fit in too well with the rest of the album. Some people say it is a
song about sexual rites of passages, some people say it is about the larger
arenas and auditoriums that the band were starting to play as they became more
famous. To be honest, I always thought it was about sex and getting your
end away, nothing has changed that opinion and I doubt anything ever will.
It is a mid-temp number and I can see why it was kept off the album that took
its name, but it is still one of my favourite songs from Led Zeppelin as it
keeps its simple and it is to the point!

05
- Trampled Under Foot

A
funk rock song inspired by 'Terraplane Blues' by Robert Johnson, this
song is about sexual temptations and uses car metaphors once again to talk
about sex. It is such an obvious statement that I am sure it can be seen
from out of space. It is a one of the most recognisable riffs of the
bands catalogue and it has that clavinet chord running all the way through
(which bass player John Paul Jones has admitted was inspired by 'Superstition'
by Stevie Wonder). It is a classic, one of their best and still it is not
the best on this record.

06
- Kashmir

This
song is the perfect representation of Led Zeppelin, some people say it is 'Whole
Lotta Love', some say it is 'Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You', some say 'Stairway
to Heaven'; no, with the greatest respect to those opinions and songs, it
is 'Kashmir'. The band themselves has all said it is one of their best
moments, Robert Plant says it is the definitive LZ song and I agree with him on
this one. It contains everything you expect from a Led Zeppelin song; OTT
lyrics, a powerhouse of a drum performance, the bass sounds so powerful and the
guitars are in charge of everything. Even Puff Diddy's use of the riff
for the song 'Come with Me' has not ruined this number, it is the best
song on this album and the best song ever created by Led Zeppelin.

07
- In the Light

The
second part of this double album starts with 'In the Light', this is
based on an earlier song that they had wrote called 'In the Morning'.
After the grand tour-de-force of 'Kashmir', it is a steady progressive
rock number that is another favourite of the band, but it was one that they
never performed live as a band, due to John Paul Jones vetoing the idea as he
could not replicate the opening sound of the song outside of the studio.
I like this song, but it is not one of my favourite off the album to be honest
as it feels a little too light for me.

08
- Bron-Yr-Aur

'Bron-Yr-Aur' is a short instrumental which was
original recorded for 'Led Zeppelin III', it is the shortest song that
the band recorded and it is also one of the gentlest that they laid down.
It is a song that is very simple, a gentle number that allows the listener to reminisce
about the past and not to be lost in those moments either. The rising and
falling riffs are a joy to the ears and it makes a powerful, yet gentle impact
on the listener; an under rated number for my money.

09
- Down by the Seaside

The
first of three outtakes from 'Led Zeppelin IV', 'Down by the Seaside'
sounds like a cross between a Southern Blues number and a psychedelic nightmare.
I have never made peace with this number, it has always jarred in my head for
the most part and only comes to life when the hard rock section of the song
kicks in. But that is short lived and I am left wondering why it was
included on this album and glad it was kept off 'Led Zeppelin IV'.

10
- Ten Years Gone

A
song that was originally meant to be an instrumental, but was changed into a
song about Robert Plant's formed girlfriend who said it was her or the music;
it is a choice which obviously worked out well for Mr Plant, but it could have
also worked out for the worst as well (what if their album had not been picked
up, things like that happen all the time). It is a slower rock song, it
has many overdubs and it sounds spectacular and understated. I love the
riff that runs through this, I have also wondered what an instrumental version
of this song would sound like.

11
- Night Flight

Another
outtake from 'Led Zeppelin IV', this song is about a man trying to avoid
an army draft and being on the run. It is one of the few songs by Led
Zeppelin not to have a guitar solo and it is a standard hard rock/blues number
that the band could turn out time after time. It is a decent number and I
can see why it was not included in 'Led Zeppelin IV', but having it on
this album is not a bad thing either as it has a good riff at its core and it
makes for some charming pace.

12
- The Wanton Song

This
is a standard rock song about a man being done rock, it has a riff that is reminiscent
of 'Immigrant Song' and 'Trample Under Foot' with neither of the
other songs charms. It is ok and it does the job, but it is not one that
I rush to listen to that often if the truth be told.

13
- Boogie with Stu

The
last of the tracks recorded during the 'Led Zeppelin IV' sessions, this
one has the most charm with a live improv that had Ian Stewart (former member
and road manager of the Rolling Stones) on the piano on this 12-bar blues jam
session. It might seem like a throwaway song, but it has a wonderful vibe
to the song and it sounds so natural and free. It is a brilliant number
that makes the world a happier place just for existing.

14
- Black Country Woman

The
final of the studio outtakes from previous sessions, this song was original
recorded during 'Houses of the Holy' and it is a stomping acoustic blues
number that still gives me shivers all these years later from when I first
heard it. It is a loud acoustic song, you cannot call it a gentle piece
and it has such a large amount of energy that it will start a party in an empty
room. What a song, what a performance.

15
- Sick Again

Ending
the album is this song which gives the band's view on the groupies who
surrounded the band at the time that the album was recorded. In the modern
age, this song will seem a little sleazy in place and I can see why. But
it is also showing that the band felt sorry for these girls who were throwing
themselves at the band and how they were trying to let them down gently.
It has a great riff and ends the album with a large degree of thunder.

'Physical Graffiti' for me is the album that best represents all sides
of Led Zeppelin; it covers all their styles and apart from a few tracks which
has not aged too kindly, it represents their best overall work as well.
It holds their greatest song 'Kashmir' (no arguments there), it has the best
beginning from the band and whilst I would have trimmed it down by two songs,
it has the most consistent feeling for me. Such a classic album, definitely
in my top twenty albums ever created.

26 December 2016

I
have been meaning to review this album for a few years now, it has been on the
list to blog since I received it for Christmas in 2014 (or was it 2013); either
way it is long overdue for this album to have another airing and I can give it
a review. To quote directly from Wikipedia - Ensemble Modern is an
international ensemble dedicated to performing and promoting the music of
modern composers. They were formed in 1980, the group is based in Frankfurt,
Germany and made up variously of about twenty members from numerous
countries. The Ensemble Modern were the orchestra played on the album 'The
Yellow Shark' which was the final album to be released before he passed away in
1993, an album which he described as one of the most fulfilling of his
career. This orchestra could tap into Zappa's music as they base they own
sound in the modern interpretation of the orchestra and go for challenging
pieces. Now, some of the music on this album is taken from 'Jazz From
Hell' and 'Civilization Phase III', it is short on what you would
call 'hits' (as if you could use that word with Zappa); but it has ten tracks
of seriously challenging orchestra music, so let us see what sweet music they
make....

01 - Moggio

The first version of 'Moggio' I heard
was in the album, 'The Man From Utopia' and it was a challenging piece
when completed by a rock band; in the hands of the Ensemble Modern, it is
transformed into a fascinating piece of orchestral music that keeps on
giving. It gives the music more substance and depth, given the fact that
this is a Frank Zappa song, this is a tiny bit of a modern day miracle.

02 - What Will Rumi Do?

Originally performed as 'T'Mershi Duween' and first brought to the
attention of the world when it was released on 'You Can't Do That On Stage
Anymore, Volume 2', this short building track is a joyful little piece that
is sadly over far too soon, it is really beautiful and I wish it was longer.
03 - Night School

The good thing about 'What Will Rumi Do?' is that it acts as an
introduction to the wonderful 'Night School' which can be found on the scary 'Jazz
From Hell' album. On the original, it was so many synth sounds going
in different directions that it gave you an idea what a hive mind would sound
like; on this version, it sounds like it has been created by angels and demons
to make a luscious and beautiful making up song for the Morning Star and Jehovah
- quite frankly, it sounds so much better than it has the right to sound and it
gives me a better understanding of what the original was aiming to achieve.

04 - Revised Music For Low Budget Orchestra

This song has appeared with various titles on the likes of 'Läther',
'Studio Tan', 'King Kong' and 'Playground Psychotics',
this is one of the most diverse piece on this album and that is no small feat
ladies and gentlemen; much like a lot of the great man's work, it is a piece
that is constantly in flux, always shifting and evolving. It does not
stop for a moment and I like that sort of piece, I like to be second guessing
where the album is going to take me and it is such a joyful piece of art.
05 - The Beltway Bandits

Another 'Jazz From Hell' alumni, 'The Beltway Bandits' is such an
aggressive number from the opening, even in this revised formation. It is
the one which stick closest to its original pattern, it is a harsh piece of
music in any version and it still hurts the ears. Not for the faint of
heart or untrained Zappa enthusiast.

06 - A Pig With Wings

One of the more sinister pieces from 'Civilization Phase III', which
large passages of silence to contrast the piano and guitars and that unsettling
feeling is a reminder that music is not always a simple and easy form of
expression. Sometimes it is dark, minimalist and full of nightmarish
sections of dread and despair, this piece of music has featured in my
nightmares before and this version holds that same impact.

07 - Put A Motor In Yourself

Once more we are brought back to 'Civilization Phase III' with 'Put A
Motor In Yourself' and this time we are taken away from the nightmare (to a
certain degree) and the piece feels like the rabbit hole is swirling around is
getting faster and faster, much like the boat ride on the first film version of
'Charlie & The Chocolate Factory'. It keeps on ticking
forward, still with that obvious Zappa drop in sound, giving the world a
feeling that everything is not quite normal; so, business as usual in the Zappa
world and the Ensemble Modern have translated it perfectly here.

08 - Peaches En Regalia

If ever there was a list made of the best-known Frank Zappa songs, I am pretty
sure that 'Peaches En Regalia' would be quite high up that chart.
Originally from 'Hot Rats', it is one of the signature tunes of the man and it
is treat with such respect, you could almost say too respectfully in some ways,
but that is just me nit-picking to be honest with you.

09 - Naval Aviation In Art?

A song that appeared on 'Läther'/'Orchestral Favorites', 'Naval
Aviation In Art?' is a slow and haunted piece with long passages of notes
being held in a suspenseful manner, sharp rises in tone and lulls in
sound. But considering it is just under two and a half minutes long, it
feels like it has so much more to give. Mainly, it is just acting as a
pause before we reach the finale of the album, which is perfectly
understandable at this point.

10 - The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary

Ending the album is the twenty plus minute song called 'The Adventures of
Greggery Peccary', it has the narration, it has changes, it has vocals and
it is bonkers. I mean it is box of kittens, fist of jam in the peanut
butter jar and out of the ragged edge of reason crazy. Couple that with
the secret cover of 'Does This Kind of Life Look Interesting To You' on
the end, it is a brilliant version of the song.

Covers albums can be hard to get right, even if you have worked with the artist
in question before and have released one of his most definitive pieces of work;
this album does a few things right, but it also does a few things wrong as
well. It makes sense of some of the more complex pieces of the Frank
Zappa back catalogue and that is both brilliant and frustrating in equal measure.
Sometimes it is great to hear music that feels like you are wrestling with a
bear who can operate laser chainsaws, danger is a key element to certain pieces
of music. However, it is also very rewarding to hear all the notes in
their place and not sounding like they are being thrown into the void on a hope
and a pray. It is a pain to the heart here as they have created some
beautiful covers here, but it is also just a cover album at the end of the
day. I love it, it is moving and I would love to see them live one day;
but much like a lot of the work of the Lord Deity Zappa, it is as mad as a box
of cats (for the most part).

Crazy cat symbols - This cannot be marked, so here is a photo of a box of
kittens

Welcome to the final round-up review of 2017! Similar to the Round-Up posts I put up earlier in the year, I’m going to be posting some bull...

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Album scoring system

0 - This is proof there is no deity1 - You're really are touching the bottom of the barrel with this one2 - If only there was some quality control3 - It could have been a bit better4 - Well it's alright, but still......5 -Not for everyone but played well6 - Now I see where you were going, but it's not quite there7 - This is good and well worth a check8 - Oh, now you have my attention and maybe my money, time and heart9 - Almost perfect....Almost10 - This is proof there is a deity(For albums that are too crazy to be marked)Crazy Cat symbol - This album cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens

Singles/EP Marking System

0 - Only to be listened to by people bless with the gift of being deaf1 - Not so much on the bad that it is bottom of the barrel, but it can see the stuff down there2 - Not bad, not good - so average it is Zen3 - Decent, getting there4 - This is really good, well worth checking out5 - I wish I had extra ears to love this more(For Singles/EPs that are too crazy to mark)Crazy Cat symbol - This release cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens